Life-preserver.



w. a. BROKAW.

LIFE PRESERVER. APPLICATIO N FILED DEC. 19, I914.

Patented Aug. 17', 1915. 2 SHEETS-SHEET W. G. BROKAW.

LIFE PRESERVE R. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19. 19M- Patented Au 17, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WI 'LLIAM G. BROKAW, OF TRINITY, NORTH CAROLINA.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

M Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 117, i915.

Application filed December 19, 1914. Serial No. 878,059.

To all whom'it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. Bnomw, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trinity, in the county of Randolph and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lifereservers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life preservers, and in particular to a device which is designed for use by sailorsand the general public, and whose construction is such that it may be worn under or combined with the collar of a sailors shirt'or attached to any shirt, or similar garment at all times, and will be in condition for use promptly in the case of an emergency, as for example, if the wearer is suddenly thrown into the water from any cause.

The life preserver is preferably of the infiatable type, and 1 is made of rubber, or equivalent material, in the shape of the broad collar ordinarily used upon sailors shirts, and, in its preferred form it is provided with means whereby it is detachably connected with the collar so as to be readily removable therefrom when desired. The

v life preserver is also preferably supplied with'suitable, means for securing it to the sition which it body of the wearer in a manner to cause the life preserver to lay beneath the chest of the wearer when he is laying upon his back in the water. The device is also. capable of disconnection from. the wearers body and may be positioned under the head so as to act as a buoyant head supporter when the wearer is floating on his back. When used in the manner last specified the person wearing the life preserver will be sustained in the water with little or no manual effort on his part. These and other important features and advantages of the invention will be best understood from the following description and claims, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents the device in the pooccupies beneath the collar of a sailors shirt, or collar of any shirt having a similar shape; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the life preserver, showing the straps for securing it about the body, in the osition which they occupy when in use; ig. 3 is aminverted plan view of the device; and Fig. .4 is a sectional detail view on the line H, Fig. 3.

'In the embodiment of the invention illusof this class the edge of the trated in the accompanying drawings the life preserver comprises an inflatable-bag of rubber 2, which is composed of upper and lower portions 4, 6, made in the form of a sailors collar, as shown best in Fig. 3, the outer edges of the two portions being cemented, or otherwise secured together in an air-tight manner to provide a margin 8 of two thicknesses of sheet rubbe The forward part of the life preserver is provided with two narrow extensions 9, 9, which follow the outline of the collar at the front of the shirt, and an air tube 10 is connected suitably to one of these extensions, and provided at its outer end with an inflating valve 12, which may be similar to that in use in foot balls, life preservers, and similar inflatable devices.

' The life preserver is preferably connected detachably with the collar C of the shirt by spaced fastenings 14. These fastenings may be of any desired kind, but as shown they I comprise the ordinary socket fastening, the

socket members in this instance being secured beneath the collar of the shirt, and along its margin at suitably spaced inter-- vals, while the cooperating plunger members of the fastenings are secured to the margin 8 of the life preserver at spaced intervals corresponding to the spaces between the other members of the fastenings which are carried beneath the collar.

In order to secure the life preserver to the body of the wearer two straps, 16, 16, which may be of elastic or any other de* sired material, are each secured at one end 18 toa corner of the life preserver either to the outer side or the inner side, as desired, and are crossed upon each other, and have their other ends secured at 19 to the life preserver at points on either side of the wearers neck. The ends 19 of these straps may be detached from the life preserver, and the straps passed beneath the arms and around the body, and the ends 19 secured together at a point in front of the wearers chest, in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In use, the life preserver is placed beneath the collar with the straps 16 crossed as shown in Fig. 3, and located under the inflatable body 2. The fastenings 14: along the shirt collar are then pressed into engagement with their cooperating members along life preserver, which latter 18 thus secured to the collar and, being in a fiat or collapsed condition it will be entirely ltd Q a I 1,1eo,aao

- concealed and may be worn by a sailor ing a collar, of a life preserver of substanwith. no inconvenience whatever. In the tially the same configuration as the collar event that the life preserver might be needed arranged beneath said collar and cooperatfor immediate use, or on very short notice, ing fastening devices on the collar and life as in thecase of a storm at sea, or an enpreserver for detachably conn cting said I.

gagement between war vessels, the sailor parts with each other.

would inflate the device through the tube 2. The combination with a garment hav- 10, and would disconnect the ends 19 of the ing a collar to extend over a'portion of the straps 16, and pass these straps around his back, of a separate life preserver of subbody securing said ends in front of him. stantially the sameconfigurationas the col- 7 His arms would then be entirely free for lar arran ed tolie beneath said collar and use in swimming, and upon turninflg over on be conc'ea ed thereby.

his back the life preserver would 0 er-a sufli- 3. The combination with a garment havcient amount of buoyancy to keep him afloat. mg a collar to extend over a portion of the If the wearer should suddenly plunge into back, a life preserver shaped like said collar 0 the water before he had time to inflate the and underlying the same, and'means for dedevice, by treading water for a short time tachably connecting said parts. he could place the tube in his mouth, inflate 4. The combination with a garment havthe device and thereafter float on his back mg a collar to extend over a portion of the with the life preserver beneath his chest, or back, of a collapsible life preserver arran ed 85 it could be allowed to rest beneath his head, to lie under and be concealed by said collar, thereby sustaining the wearer in the water and cooperative fastening means between with little or no efi'orton his part. This the adjacent edges of said collar and said life preserver is also 5 well adapted for use life preserver.

26 as a pillow, and without detaching it from 5. A life preserver made in the shape of 9 the collar it may be thrown back under the the collar of a garment and arranged to lie wearers head and when in this position it beneath said collar, straps secured to the will serve as a comfortable support for the outer corners of said life reserver and arhead. ranged to be passed aroun the body of the 80 While I have shown and described as the wearer and to be fastened together in front preferred embodiment of my invention the thereof. collar of a sailors shirt to which the life 6. A life preserver in the shape of a colreserving collar is detachably secured, in lar comprising an inflatable body portion its broadest aspect my invention is not limcomposed of two layers of material united ited to' use with this particular form of colat their peripheral edges, and fastening lar, but may be attached to other forms of means located along sai edges for detachcollar, as, for example, to thecollar of a ably securing the device beneath a collar. sailors Guernsey, or sweater or to a bathing 7. A life preserver in the shape of a collar, suit, or a ladys (garment; uch collars are comprising an inflatable body portion com- 40 high, andiexten continuously around the posed oftwolayers ofmaterial united attheir 105 .neck, with a solid plain front. In the event peripheral edges, fastening means located that the life preserver was used in connecalong said edges for detachably securi the tion with such form of collar the forwardly device beneath a collar, and straps each avextending ends 9 would be omitted, and the ing one end secured to, an outer corner of life preserver would be shaped to correspond the life preserver and arranged to pass in no with the shape of the Guernsey or sweater front of the body of the wearer and be fascollar throughout the latter. The life pretened together at their other ends. serv ng collar, as in the preferred form of 8. An inflatable life preserver arranged to the invention, has stiffened edges, as 8, prolie beneath a .sailors collar, and comprising vided with fastening members which would a body portion 2 having the extensions 9, 9, be used cooperatively with other fastening the thickened edge 8 having fastenin demembers on the Guernsey collar, to secure vices located at intervals thereon, and the detachable connection between these parts. straps 16, 16, each having one end secured It is an important feature of the invention at 18, 18 to the corners of the body 2, and that when used in this form the life preat their other ends having fastenings 19, 19, server may be folded and placed in a small for connecting said ends in front of the rubber pocketboolnfor the convenience of body of the wearer. the travehng pubhc, so that each person 9. A life preserver in the shape of a collar may have 1115 or her individual hfe precomprising an inflatable body portion proserver, which is also capable of use as a vided along) its edge with fastening means pillow for the head. for detacha ly connecting it with the collar Having thus described my invention what of a garment in combination witha garment I claim as new and desire to secure by Letcollar having cooperating fastening means. ters Patent 1s: 10. The combination with a garment hav- 1. The combination with a garment having'a collar, of a life preserver made in the wearers back, of a life preserver shaped 7 like said collar and combined therewith, and means secured to the outer corners of the collar for fastening said collar and life pre- 15 server to the wearers back.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. WILLIAM G. BROKAW. Witnesses JAMES BLACK, ARTHUR HusK. 

